Historical Society: After the time capsule, on to Halloween ghosts

September 23, 2009 11:25 pm
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By Lesley Holdcroft
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Andrea Mercado is glowing after the success of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society time capsule project. “This is not for us; it’s for them – the people who are coming after us. It’s really for the kids who were there.” (Like Loren and Clara Peterson, with Mercado in the photo at left from last Saturday’s time-capsule-filling.)

As director of the Log House Museum, Mercado spent a good deal of time with children to complete this project, and several kids helped load up the items to be revealed in 50 years’ time (WSB Saturday coverage here and here).

“The first thing that went into the time capsule was a 7 year-old’s ‘Hello!’ as he spoke the word into the container,” Mercado says. “It was his greeting to the future.”

Next up for the Historical Society: the annual autumn gala. This year – for the first time – the Society presents “Ghosts of the Westside.”

The idea originated from Mercado’s conversations with Westside history lovers – she credits Tia Hallberg, in particular, for the gala idea: “You know what; I have so many ghost stories now. We’ve had a lot of people coming into the museum and telling us about ghosts in their houses. We’re thinking about organizing a tour, and now we’re introducing this event. We’re thinking it will be so easy and so fun.”

At Salty’s on Alki from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Halloween, the public is welcome to attend the event, which includes brunch. The cost is $60 for adults; prices for kids are coming.

“We’ll be guessing the identity of the ghosts; some of them will speak behind screens and some will give re-enactments through telling stories about their lives. The public will guess the ghost,” Mercado says.

The ghosts came through the invitation of Society president Judy Bentley.

“They will be portrayed by residents of the Westside. The ghosts are making cameo appearances. We’re drawing on our collections and the collection of other historical organizations for information about these people – both well-known and little-known. So we’re creating profiles of these people.”

Some of the ghosts will mingle with the audience, while others will speak behind a screen – depending upon the ghosts’ preference. Audience members who guess the correct identity of the ghosts will win prizes.

“The prizes,” Bentley says, “will be historical.”

The Historical Society is also working continually to strengthen its endowment fund and encouraging the preservation of historical sites including the Alki Homestead and the Seaview Building at The Kenney. Though the Telling Our Westside Stories campaign, which features oral histories of the land, work and home, the Society plans to increase its endowment and create an operating reserve to fortify the Log House Museum.

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum website is down right now, but you can get ticket information for Ghosts of the Westside by calling 206-938-5293.

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